Oh! I forgot one. Polly Hall is a great up-and-comer. Her song Stand is really good, but you can only get it from www.pollyhall.com
Leonard Cohen has some good sad songs, Nick cave, I found a few gems on the Idlewild cd’s, Belle and Sebastians “I fought in a War”. Sigur Ros & Godspeed You Black Emperor & Mogwai are the best if you don’t mind the absence of lyrics. Sondre Lerche is a new favorite. Spiritualized is the best. “Candy Says” by the Velvet Underground. I don’t know if anyone has heard the new DJ muggs album “Dust” but thats pretty damn good, because he has the lead singer from the afghan whigs on there for a few songs, and a couple of tracks have a real good female singer. No rap, just singing. I think I might have gotten off the subject of sad slow and angst, but those are all sad or slow in their own way.
So much good stuff here…I’ll second Nick Drake, but in addition to “Pink Moon” I’d add “Time Of No Reply” and “Which Will.”
Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” from The Raven is another second…haunting and beautiful.
I’ll add the Waterboys’ “When Ye Go Away” from Fisherman’s Blues for a little Celtic spin on the theme, and Toad The Wet Sprocket’s “Pray Your Gods” from Fear and “Listen” from Dulcinea because they’re powerful songs about important stuff, and also devestatingly sad in the process.
I admit that the Helmet song “Like I Care” isn’t especially quiet, but it is very sad and angsty. It’s a dark song that never fails to pull me out of a funk, probably because it’s so damned good in headphones.
The hard-to-find picks are songs by the San Francisco band The Court And Spark…I’d start with “National Lights” and “A.M. Radio” from Bless You. Imagine an alt-country band with the studio obsessiveness and lyrical obtuseness of Steely Dan and you’ve got the idea. Lyrically they’re also reminiscent of R.E.M. or Freedy Johnston, in that you can’t quite get a lock on what the songs are exactly about, which means you can apply them to a lot of different situations.
Although I know you really need songs and not full albums, I’d also recommend Skip Spence’s Oar and the tribute album More Oar. If you’re recovering from a breakup or driving late at night and feeling a little melancholy, both albums are great company. Since the tribute album is a little uneven, I’ll specifically recommend Greg Dulli’s version of “Dixie Peach Promenade (Yin For Yang)” and Diesel Park West’s intense reading of “All Come To Meet Her.”
Hoping these help…
Pantera - specifically: Planet Caravan
i havent heard this but i would assume its a black sabbath cover, off the paranoid album
try mercury by american music club, its not all angsty, but theres some beautiful songs on there
tom waits is a good call
gorecki by lamb
4 last songs by strauss if your in a classical mood
some of neil youngs acoustic stuff from the early 70s (too numerous to mention songs)
radiohead as an obvious choice
if you can find it, its all over by the god machine off scenes fropm the 2nd storey
anybody named nirvana yet. thats angst yo
Verve Pipe - Freshman (Get the Acoustic if you can)
Ry Cooder’s Paris, Texas with the exception of track 9, which is a monologue of sorts.
Keywords: melancholy, atmospheric, lonesome, ghostly.
Tori Amos–
Under the Pink
Selected songs from StrangeLittleGirls (remakes-Time, Real Men, Raining Blood, I Don’t Like Mondays)
I also find her new album, Scarlet’s Walk, pretty depressing, too.
I don’t understand half of what she’s talking about, but my heart surely does.
Control - by Poe
This is such a neat song when you are feeling down. Not exactly sad, but has a real unique sound.
Tori Amos-- Smells Like Teen Spirit.
REM-- Everybody Hurts
Cardigans-- My Favourite Game
Plumb-- Damaged
Another vote for Arab Strap and Joy Division . Arab Strap will fling you into a lovely, dark abyss for sure - and I can’t think of anything more angsty than Joy Division!
Also, I second the Cowboy Junkies first album.
How about…
Mandalay - Insensible
The Cranberries - Everything I said
Anything by Portishead
The Delgados - The Light Before We Land
The Smiths - How Soon is Now
I second The The’s Dusk - it works for me every time i am in that mood (a couple of songs on it are not “quiet” - but the overall effect of the whole record is that of a balm for soothing a shattered soul).
Also Second Nick Drake’s Pink Moon - also check out Cello Song and the incredibly wonderful Northern Sky and From The Morning. Again, balm for the soul.
The acoustic version of Tears by The Chameleon’s
The Triffids - Stolen Property (and most of the other songs off their Born Sandy Devotional record)
The Go Betweens - Clouds, Streets of Your Town, Quiet Heart. (oh hell, most of 16 Lovers Lane), Part Company, Batchelor Kisses, Cattle and Cane (stunning).
I recommend this group. Especially their album “Disentegration” The Cure
I’d also recommend this mp3.com group, Kaleidoscope Sunrise. Their album “Pretty Horror Sunrise” has a really good song titled “No Control” on it. Do you like Metallica at all?
i know i know … 's :smack:
Hmm, I forgot a group from mp3.com. They are sad, quiet, and some of their songs have a bit of angst. Check them out too, you may like them. I recommend both “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent” and “The River Is Flowing”.Basque
I second (third? fourth?) the Belle and Sebastian recommendation. “Fold your hands child, you walk like a peasant” has some good ones, and “The Boy with the Arab Strap” also has some choice quiet, sad songs–especially “Seymour Stein.”
What’s the policy for posting links to mp3s if the artist knows about it and is ok with it? How about a link to a web page with links to mp3s? Or a link to a web page with a link to a web page with links to mp3s?
What’s the policy for posting links to mp3s if the artist knows about it and is ok with it? How about a link to a web page with links to mp3s? Or a link to a web page with a link to a web page with links to mp3s?
ARGH, sorry about the double-post. I didn’t think it went through so I used my back button.
Um, Equipoise if you click the links, you will see that it pulls up the artist’s page, which as free music THAT THE ARTISTS THEMSELVES CONSENTED TO GIVE AWAY, and also sells their albums. :dubious: I broke no rules in putting those links up, I merely gave people a chance to find out about these artists that I think are cool.
Anything by Azure Ray is really moody and evocative, but “Displaced” is by far the angstiest and saddest of all.
"I Know" by Fiona Apple will fit your mood, especially if you’ve ever loved someone who didn’t love you back.
Joan Armatrading’s music is also often moody and sad. “The Weakness in Me” is heart-breaking.
Some other suggestions:
"Colorblind" by Counting Crows and “Feels Like Home” by Bonnie Raitt